The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a proposed federal voting bill currently moving through Congress, could significantly alter voting for North Carolina residents.

Having passed the House and now awaiting a Senate vote, the act would impose stricter nationwide requirements for verifying voters’ identity and citizenship status. If enacted, the bill would supersede aspects of North Carolina law that currently maintain a more flexible approach to voter ID requirements and voter registration.

Current Requirements in N.C.

Voters in North Carolina are currently required to present a valid form of photo ID to vote in person, but the state accepts a wide range of IDs, including driver’s licenses, passports, military IDs, IDs expired for up to one year and some student IDs issued by North Carolina colleges and universities. 

Furthermore, if you do not have a valid photo ID, you can vote without one if you sign an ID exception form. Registered voters in North Carolina can also request to vote by mail without providing a reason. To submit an absentee ballot, voters must provide certain identification information and a photocopy of a valid photo ID or sign the ID exception form. The absentee ballot must also be notarized. 

​Notably, while IDs are required to vote in North Carolina, proof of citizenship is not. Voters are held accountable by penalty of perjury, as well as by the “SAVE Agreement” passed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections last November, which permits the state to cross-reference state registration records with a federal citizenship database. 

The SAVE Act would introduce sweeping changes to this system by creating a uniform federal standard for voter eligibility verification. The bill requires individuals to prove their U.S. citizenship with documents such as a passport or birth certificate when registering to vote. It imposes penalties for individuals and voter registration officials for failing to comply. 

Criticism

While the act may seem straightforward, many North Carolinians could face significant barriers to voting and voter registration if the SAVE Act is passed. 

N.C. Voices explains that roughly 56% of N.C. residents do not have a passport, meaning they would have to provide photo ID and a birth certificate to vote. 

While this may not be an issue for some, the requirement could be troublesome for residents who cannot easily access their birth certificates. Additionally, millions of American women and men have birth certificates that do not match their current legal name because of marriage or other life changes. So while the act may seem simple, its repercussions could manifest in additional layers of bureaucratic trouble for many. 

Politicians React

President Trump has repeatedly voiced support for the SAVE Act, saying elections in America are “rigged” and that he will not sign anything into law until the Senate passes the bill.

“America’s Elections are Rigged, Stolen and a Laughingstock all over the World,” Trump said in a March 2 Truth Social post. “We are either going to fix them, or we won’t have a Country any longer. I am asking all Republicans to fight for the following: SAVE AMERICA ACT!”

Last month, Trump also signed an executive order to create a national voter registration list, a move that Democratic election officials are already challenging.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein posted on X against the executive order the day after the president signed it.

“Voting is the fundamental right that underpins every other right we hold as Americans,” Stein said. “Know that I will do everything in my power to protect your right to choose your government. President Trump’s executive order is an unconstitutional, blatant attempt to restrict access to the ballot box and to take away your right to vote by mail. No one, including the president, can pick their voters.”

Wake Forest professor reflects

Peter Siavelis, a Wake Forest professor with expertise in political institutions, election systems and candidate selection, said the SAVE Act would “create new administrative hurdles for voters and election officials” in North Carolina. 

“In practice, measures of this sort tend to fall most heavily on groups that already face barriers to participation, including elderly voters, students and lower-income citizens,” Siavelis said in a statement.

Siavelis added that North Carolina may be disproportionately affected as a swing state. 

“Because NC is a purple state, elections are often determined by a small percentage of voters,” Siavelis said. “This legislation is a direct affront to the small number of voters that can determine electoral outcomes and represents an effort (among many others) to tip the scales in favor of the current administration’s allies.”

For North Carolina voters, the result could be a shift from a comparatively flexible system to one defined by stricter documentation requirements and more centralized federal oversight, reshaping how residents across the state participate in elections.